[2024 Beauty Trends] Ingredient-Focused Beauty: Why Is It Succeeding on wadiz?

3-Line Summary of the Story 

• #1. Discover:The “clean beauty” trend continues to gain momentumworldwide. Beauty consumers who embrace this trend prioritize trustworthy and safe ingredients when choosing products.
• #2. Success: Wadizis a platform where “beauty products with scientifically verified ingredients” are gaining attention. How was it possible to achieve hundreds of millions of won in funding on wadiz based solely on high-quality ingredients—rather than brand name recognition? 
• #3. Expand: The beauty funding market continues to expand today. Discover a wider range of possibilities on wadiz, from skincare to beauty devices.
  
  

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#1. Discover the 2024 Beauty Trends

The clean beauty trend will continue next year and the year after. 

There’s been onetopicthat’s remained a hot topic in the beauty industry over the past few years:“clean beauty.”According to the definition in Naver Open Dictionary, clean beauty refers to cosmetics made without harmful ingredients and with environmental protection in mind. While definitions may vary slightly by brand, the common focus is on “sustainability.” This is because the concept implies using the minimum necessary ingredients for the sustainability of both individuals and the planet.

This is not just a fleeting trend. Globally, interest in clean beauty hasalready exceeded expectations.KOTRA, which facilitates trade and investment between domestic and internationalcompanies, projected that the “global clean beauty market size” will increase annually and grow to nearly twice its current size in five years. Citing this, KOTRA has actively encouraged domestic companies to “enter the clean beauty market.”

For clean beauty consumers who scrutinize product ingredients, the key lies in ingredients that have undergone “scientific validation.” 

The clean beauty trend has naturally emerged in the pursuit of sustainability for all. As a result, a common sight in beauty drugstores is consumers scrutinizing the ingredient lists on the backs of products. Consumers who prioritize clean beauty are no longer fooled by flashy marketing claims or attractive packaging . They carefully examine product ingredients to determine whether they can trust a brand’s claims of “clean beauty.” 

South Korea has a history of experiencing firsthand the importance of ingredients, dating back to the “humidifier disinfectant” scandal. The recent pandemic has also amplified concerns about health and safety. This is why consumers are bound to be highly sensitive to and meticulously analyze every beauty product that comes into contact with their bodies. 

What can convince beauty consumers who are becoming increasingly savvy? The key lies in scientifically validated ingredients and the brand’s authenticity behind them.Only “ingredient-driven beauty”—products that combine trustworthy ingredients with proven efficacy—can stand out in the fiercely competitive beauty industry.

#2. Succeeding in the 2024 Beauty Trends

Wadiz funding has long served as a launching pad for emerging beauty brands. In particular, “ingredients,” “efficacy,” and “vegan” have been among the most sought-after themes in beauty funding. Wadiz supporters visit the platform specifically to find ingredients backed by scientific data and those with proven efficacy. 

Just look at these examples: Ingredient Editor’s Green Tomato Ampoule, which contains three patented pore-improving ingredients and has raised over 1 billion won in cumulative funding; and Q-Tem’s Cerabam Cream, which boasts an impressive 6% ceramide concentration and has raised over 400 million won. Both made their debut through wadiz funding and are now rapidly growing into major makers.

So, why has ingredient-focused beauty thrived on wadiz? In Episode 4 of “WHY wadiz,” we examined the reasons one by one.

A Look at Successful Projects
“Ingredient-Focused Beauty: Why Does It Thrive on wadiz?” 

① Because there are supporters who respond to “verified products” rather than brand names.

Wadiz beauty supporters are a discerning group that focusessolely on “verified products.” They don’t visit the platform simply to buy new products after running out of their current ones; rather, they explore funding projects in search of good ingredients and verified products that will alleviate their skin concerns. 

For example, there are cases where products featuring unfamiliar natural ingredients—such as “black mulberry” and “perilla seed”—achieved funding in the hundreds of millions of won by highlighting their characteristics and benefits in the funding story (product detail page). First, let’s look at the case of the maker behind “Pore-Tightening Black Mulberry Ampoule.” The maker explained the rationale behind choosing blackberries, stating, “We discovered specific ingredients in blackberries that help prevent the loss of pore elasticity and strengthen the skin.”

As objective evidence , they underwent no fewer than eight clinical trials for the product and presented the results of a blind test conducted against a well-known ampoule. They also highlighted that it was a “natural ampoule made from 100% plant-based ingredients,” positioning it as a clean beauty product.   

The same applies to the Mami Recipe maker who launched the “Perilla Seed Dark Spot Cream.” In their funding story, they explained that they underwent three separate clinical trials for dark spots—a process that typically involves only one test—to prove the product’s efficacy, thereby validating its ingredients and benefits.They also added credibility by taking before-and-after comparison photos with a regular smartphone camera. 

Supporters who visit wadizto address their skin concernscarefully review clinical trials and improvement metrics. Thanks to this,the scientific validation of products like the Odi Ampoule and Perilla Seed Dark Spot Cream helped convince supporters.

As this example shows, even relatively unknown brands or unfamiliar ingredients can achieve success in the wadiz beauty funding market as long as they can demonstrate their ingredients and efficacy with objective data. 

② Meticulous supporters who seek out quality ingredients read through the entire detailed product page to assess the “brand’s authenticity.”

The more reliable a product’s ingredients and efficacy are, the more the brand has to share. Explaining why a particular ingredient was chosen, how it underwent scientific validation, and what benefits it offers—there’s likely not enough space on a single page to cover just the advantages.

On wadiz, a brand’s unique story is what sets its project apart. That’s why supporters read the funding story all the way through—even if it’s long—before deciding whether to back the project.

There’s a case where a brand’s authenticity was recognized by revealing the long journey of product development in the Story. It’s the maker of “IdeNel,” an anti-wrinkle cream. The maker candidly shared the failures encountered during the development of new materials. The first attempt was an experiment to get the active ingredients to penetrate deep into the skin. After that, they made three more attempts for different purposes, but all ended in failure.

However, the maker did not give up. They traveled to Germany to visit an aesthetic clinic, where they discovered a new clue to success, and after dozens of research trials, developed the current “Altum Peptide Cream.”

Supporters who read the Story sensed the brand’s sincerity through the maker’s journey of challenges and failures. Since they are the kind of people who meticulously examine product ingredients, they perceived the stories about active ingredients and experiments as a reflection of the brand’s authenticity. Ultimately, IdeNel’s maker raised 310 million won in their first funding campaign and has since accumulated over 800 million won to date, growing into a brand recognized by wadiz supporters. 

In another example, the maker behind “Neuseon,” who took on their first-ever beauty funding campaign, began their product page with a sentence unlike anything seen elsewhere: “I’m retiring. I don’t have the confidence to create something faster or more reliable than this.” What story did they intend to convey, starting with this sentence?

The maker, a cosmetics developer with 26 years of experience, called out the sensationalist and exaggerated practices she had observed in the industry. This prompted her to launch the beauty brand “Neuseon.” Nuseon positioned itself as “an ampoule that speaks honestly about the average,” “an ampoule backed by clinical data,” and “an ampoule focused on building skin resilience,” and focused on delivering the product exactly as it is to its supporters. 

It was a long story—one that took over five minutes to read from start to finish. However, supporters read the entire story and recognized the brand’s authenticity regarding its products and ingredients.

“I participated in the funding after reading the thoughtfully written Story!” “I carefully read the maker’s long post and decided to try the product!” Before and after the funding ended, over 1,700 posts expressing empathy for the maker’s sincerity were posted on the Community, and more than 200 million won was raised for the ampoule created as the maker’s retirement project.

Kwon Byung-wook, Director of Neulson, shared the following in a recent interview: “Take on a wadiz funding campaign when you have a story you’re bursting to tell!”

If your brand can sincerely share stories about high-quality ingredients and the product verification process, you’ll find supporters who recognize that value on wadiz. 

③ With a string of successful ingredient-focused beauty campaigns, it has become a market that supporters trust and seek out.

The wadiz ingredient-focused beauty market is still thriving. Thanks to the success of hit makers like Arencia, Ingredient Editor, and CosmeChef—which havecollectivelyraised over 1 billion won—it has become a market that supporters trust and turn to. As beauty standards become more discerning ,the wadiz beauty funding market has emerged asthe center of the trend —a place where supporters can find trustworthy ingredients and brands with exceptional product quality. 

In fact, an analysis of internal data shows that the number of supporters participating in wadiz beauty funding has increased every year over the past three years. Last yearalone, more than 300,000 supporters discovered beauty products featured on wadiz. The average funding amount per person has also risen accordingly, approaching approximately 90,000 won. This suggests that more supporters are seeking out beauty funding campaigns and are increasingly backing Rewards in higher price ranges. 

The early stages of a brand are both challenging and crucial. That’s why you should start in a stable market where customer acquisition is steady and built on trust.

Wadiz offers the perfect opportunity to position your brand as a “high-quality beauty brand” right from the launch.

📍 Here’s what you need to know!
Why Does Ingredient-Focused Beauty Thrive on wadiz?

• A platform that focuses on “verified products” rather than brand names
• Supporters who read through lengthy product descriptions to the very end and recognize “the brand’s authenticity regarding ingredients” 
• A “stable beauty funding market” with a steady flow of customers built on trust 

#3. Expanding Within the 2024 Beauty Trends

Earlier, we focused on ampoules and creams as success stories for ingredient-focused beauty. However, wadiz’s beauty funding market offers limitless opportunities for innovation. As an example, let’s take a look at two projects that ranked 2nd and 3rd among the top three projects with the most supporters in the first half of 2023.

First, in second place is the eyelash nourishing serum made by Maker Marシック, which concluded in February of this year. This product guarantees nourishing care through a hypoallergenic formula containing a French-patented ingredient that promotes eyelash health, along with five naturally derived ingredients. Third place went to Team Smore’s toothpaste maker. Formulated with the maximum concentration of ingredients identical to those found in natural teeth, this product helps maintain bright and strong teeth. The Story behind the project detailed the four-year journey it took to develop this toothpaste. 

Both projects attracted over 5,000 supporters and raised more than 200 million won in funding, thanks to their high-quality ingredients and proven product performance. 

From body care and hair care to makeup and beauty devices—all falling under the “beauty” category—

any brand confident in its ingredients and efficacy can take on wadiz without hesitation—regardless of product category—and achieve success.
✨How to Turn Your Challenge into Reality 👉 https://bit.ly/4csk46R

As we wrap up Episode 4 of the WHY wadiz series, <INGREDIENTS in Beauty>,
Here are the projects featured in this article. Click the links to learn more. 

• Maker Rootree[Odi Ampoule: Reduces Pores by 37.5% in Just 5 Days]
• Maker Mami Recipe [Perilla Seed Dark Spot Cream: Controversy Over Clinical Results Showing Dark Spot Improvement in 7 Days!]
• Maker IdeNel [60x Cream with 60x Absorption, Proven Wrinkle-Reducing Effects]
• Maker Neusun [Just one application reduces pore index by -27.89%—sounds too good to be true, right? It’s possible because this is my swan song]
• Maker Marcik [It’s not mascara. It’s an eyelash nourishing treatment. Provides nourishment and makeup effects]
• Maker Teamsmore [What if you could keep your teeth white just by brushing? Toothpaste that removes stains and replenishes without abrasion!]

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<WHY wadiz> Series 

We take a keen look at evolving consumer trends and analyze successful projects on wadiz based on these insights.
We ask why you should start a campaign on wadiz in this emerging consumer market and seek answers. 

We recommend this series to both aspiring and existing makers who are grappling with the following concerns. 

• “Which markets are seeing the most consumer demand these days?” 
• “Can I launch my business or brand in that market?”
• “Which platform should I choose to effectively showcase my product or service?”

WrittenandEdited by Han Ji-hye Design Jeong Yun-bi